Gods & Monsters
by queenbarbie
Summary: The year is 1497 and Lord Niklaus is desperate to break the centuries old curse placed on him by his mother's coven but when he meets Lady Caroline, the beautiful woman standing between him and his objective, Klaus must ask himself just how far is he willing to go?


The night was unusually dark as the carriage rattled down the abandoned track leading to an old cabin. The pale moonlight was hidden behind gathering storm clouds. The driver urged the horses on with a sharp crack of his whip. He couldn't explain the sudden chill he felt but opted to ignore it. Lord Mikaelson was paying him a hefty amount for his services and with a family of eight to feed he could hardly afford to turn away good money.

As they neared the house, pulling into the rocky driveway he stifled his fear as well as any questions he had about what a well-respected man was doing visiting the home of a reputed witch at ungodly hours of the night. No sooner had he stopped the carriage then the door swung open and Lord Mikaelson stepped out.

The moonlight caught his face, casting a deathly white shadow across his face. Even his normally golden hair was coloured silver by the pale light, giving him the appearance of a ghost. The only colour was in his blood-stained lips as they curled into a smirk. He caught the driver's gaze and licked his lips, relishing in the last drop of blood as it trickled down his tongue.

The driver froze in terror suddenly very aware of the warm red liquid that ran through his veins. He had heard the rumours of course, the terrible tales surrounding the haunted and dangerous Mikaelson family but like so many others he simply dismissed them as old fishwives' tales. Monsters belonged in books, they didn't walk the earth in the shapes of men and yet he knew in his bones that the creature approaching him was far from human.

Fear finally got the better of him and he ran as fast as he could from the abomination he had once called a lord. He had gotten no further than five feet when he came face to face with the devil himself. The last thing he saw was its eyes burning red before it sank its teeth into his neck and tore the life out of him.

Klaus threw the body to the ground and stared at his shirt in distaste. Some of the blood had splattered onto his collar leaving a red stain on the formerly immaculate white. He could almost see Elijah's disapproving look. His brother was sturdy in his belief that presentation was the first and most important step to success. However there was little he could do about walked to the small wooden door and waited, eyeing his surroundings. The house was at least a century old and the walls were brimming with magic. Plants grew around the walls, creating cracks in wooden structure. Old bones from previous sacrifices were left to the side in a growing pile. Some were animal, some not. Klaus could see why the townspeople cursed her as a witch and spoke of her in hushed tones under the cover of darkness.

He was growing increasingly impatient when, at last, the door opened revealing a young woman with dark honey skin and striking green eyes. She had raven black hair that tumbled down her back, reaching her waist. She wore a long brown dress that left her arms bare, showing off the black marks that covered them.

"Lady Talia," he said, greeting her with a low bow.

She watched at him suspiciously, her eyes taking in his every action. Finally she stepped aside and allowed him to enter. "I'm no lady, my lord. Talia will suffice."

She led him through a thin veil, into a large room at the corner of the house. As they walked Klaus took the opportunity to look around the house. The inside of the house teeming with ancient artifacts, some relating to witchcraft but others mundane things that possessed little practical purpose but, all the same, were pleasant to look at.

He followed her to the large oak table placed at the center of the room. There were various herbs and potions on it but what caught his eye was a smooth oval shaped stone, the colour of concentrated moonlight. He immediately picked it up and turned it over his hand, examining it.

"The moonstone?" he asked in disbelief. Talia nodded but there was no doubt about it. Centuries had passed since he had last seen it but the colouring alone set it apart from any other stone. It was with this stone that his mother had once bound him and now the same stone would be used to free him.

Klaus stopped himself from going any further. He had waited years to break his curse and while finding the moonstone was a significant step forward, there was still much to be done before his curse could be broken. He carefully put the moonstone into his pocket and turned to face the witch.

"You have been a great help to me but now that I have the moonstone we must find the doppelgänger. Without her blood…"

Talia interrupted him, "I'm offended my lord. I would not call you here unless I had all the information you desired."

Klaus began to smile as she pulled out an old leather parchment from one of the many cupboards lining the walls and placed it on the table. He reached for it but she put out a hand to stop him. "Not yet my lord. First I require the payment I was promised in return for my help."

Klaus brought out a black leather purse with the letter M embroidered on it and handed it to her. "200 gold coins, as promised. Now the location of the doppelganger if you please."

Talia weighed the bag in her hands and once she was happy with the contents she placed it aside and unravelled the parchment. It was a map of England, hand drawn in exquisite detail. Like most things in the house it was centuries old but the lines looked freshly drawn and there were no signs of fading. "There," Talia said pointing to a town on the south-east coast. Two red dots appeared where she touched the map.

Klaus could almost taste the victory which was so close, a triumphant smile spread over his face. "I will make travel arrangements for us right away. I will send a messenger when everything has been organised."

In his haste to leave the witch's home he almost missed Talia calling him back. Something in her tone made him wary and he turned around, shooting her an impatient glare.

"There is just one more thing my lord. I will accompany you but I cannot do the spell." Seeing the look on his face she quickly hurried to explain. "Ayana created the curse placed on you and only one descended from her can break it." Here she smiled before continuing. "And it seems that fate is on your side because as luck would have it the girl, the witch's birthplace is the same as that of the doppelganger."

The centuries had taught Klaus that fate was a shifting tide and it had a habit of changing at the most inopportune moments. He was eager to break the curse while fate was still in his favor. "How will I recognise her?"

"I do not know what she looks like but I have a name, Bonnie Bennett," Talia said. "However the girl is fairly inexperienced, you must allow me to teach her before she can be ready to perform such a powerful spell."

"The spell has to be formed on the wolf moon, you have until then," Klaus said already walking out of the house.

He was without a carriage or a driver, meaning he would be walking. The moon rose high against the black night sky and the wind tumbled wildly through the trees as Klaus strolled along the long winding track. His spirits rose high as he pictured the pieces of the sacrifice coming together at last to form a key which three months from now would unlock the creature clawing underneath his skin. He could almost feel the power of the full moon flowing through his blood, calling to his werewolf side. On an impulse he decided to take the path leading into the town. Tonight was a night of celebration, he thought with a smile, the moonlight catching on his fangs.


End file.
